Up, Down, Around
by nessa the writer
Summary: Adrian/Grace/Ben friendship, collection of drabbles. Friendship can be described in thousands of ways, but when it comes to Adrian, Grace and Ben, it can be described with three words- up, down and around.
1. Chapter 1

**Up, Down, Around**

_Up_

Adrian Lee's mood seemed to be lifted up in the past week.

"You're so much stronger than he is."

"I know."

Adrian didn't know exactly _why_ she was up at midnight, or why she was repeatedly opening and closing the fridge without removing anything from it.

"Are you hungry? Hey, does the baby like, _make_ you hungry?"

Adrian shot one eyebrow up at Grace. "_Make_ me hungry?"

"Stupid question?"

Adrian nodded, grabbed the orange juice out and sat down at the table.

"Here," Grace walked over to the cabinets, "Lemme grab you a cup."

But Adrian refused. "No need."

Grace watched her chug the orange juice as fast as she could.

"Maybe you're right. This baby _is_ making me hungry. Do you think my mom bought-"

"Stop!" Grace ran to Adrian's chair. "You have to eat _healthy_ for your baby. Let me make you something. Soup?"

Adrian laughed. "Soup sounds good." And she licked her lips and ran over to the cabinet to see if they had any chicken noodle.

Grace watched her best friend search for soup like a dog for a treat that had just fallen behind the couch. "So," Grace looked up at Adrian, "These sleepovers are kind of... fun."

"Yeah, you know, considering I don't _sleep_." Adrian laughed and rubbed her tired eyes. "Now where's that soup? God, if my mom forgot to buy it I-"

"Let's call Ben!"

Adrian shut the cabinet door and looked back at Grace. "...At _midnight_?"

"Yeah," Grace suddenly got giddy, "He might like midnight soup or something, you never know Adrian."

Adrian laughed at the blonde's ridiculous comment, but picked up her phone anyway, scrolled down to Ben's name and pressed it against her ear.

* * *

_Down_

He couldn't even sleep anymore.

He couldn't do _a lot_ of things that he used to do anymore.

_"Hey Adrian." _

_"Hey Ben." She sighed._

_"Do you need a ride-"_

_"I have a car, remember?" She interrupted him._

_He wasn't paying attention. He couldn't stop staring at her barely-there stomach._

He thought about her a lot, especially while laying in bed attempting to sleep.

His phone vibrated, shaking his whole night table.

"H-hello?" He sat up straight, reaching for the lamp.

"Hi Ben." Adrian sighed deeply into the phone.

"Is something wrong? Are you okay? Is the baby-"

"I'm fine," she laughed, and he heard background laughter too, but could barely make it out, "Do you want to come over?"

"At _midnight_?" He laughed, too.

"Yeah, Grace and I made soup and we're just talking. It's hard to sleep nowadays."

"Welcome to my world." He laughed again.

"So you in?"

"I'll be there in twenty."

He heard a click and looked at the screen to make sure she had ended the call.

"Dad!" Ben called from his room. "Dad!"

He got no response, which led him to remember a comment his dad made to him earlier about him 'hitting the sack early with Betty'.

He put on his shoes on the opposite feet - without noticing - and head for the door.

* * *

_Around_

Grace Bowman has been around Adrian's house for what had seemed to be a week straight.

Grace knew inside that Adrian was probably sick of her by now, but she was too worried about her to leave.

It wasn't like she would go and get a "secret abortion" if Grace left or anything - it was probably too far in the pregnancy now to have one, anyway. But Grace stayed _just to make sure_.

"What'd he say?" Grace jumped out of her chair.

"He'll be here in twenty." Adrian grabbed her cell phone to glance at the time, even though it had only been thirty seconds since she hung up with Ben, "Either he _really_ likes soup, or he can't sleep."

"I think he just likes soup."

"Have I told you lately that you're the smartest person I know?"

"No." Grace looked up at Adrian, puzzled.

"Good."

The room went silent for about the next two minutes or so - Adrian pouring a can of soup into a pot and Grace at the kitchen table just tapping her fingernails against the hardwood table.

"So," Grace quietly said, "Do you want to know the sex?"

"Of what?" Adrian said groggily.

"Your _baby_! That's what!" Grace laughed at Adrian's confusion.

"Right." Adrian turned around from cooking the soup and looked Grace in the eye, "I don't care."

Grace knew Adrian didn't mean that, but wasn't about to fight her on it. She knew Adrian would win.

* * *

**A/N: **This story started out as a collection of drabbles, basically, but I got a different idea halfway into writing it. I love the friendship that Grace/Adrian/Ben seem to have lately, and I'd love to see more of it. Expect more, especially if I get 3+ reviews on the first chapter! Each chapter, a different person will be 'up', 'down' or 'around', you'll see how that works later. Obviously, the classification of being 'up', 'down' and 'around' mean something, and they all have a meaning behind it, but you have to read to understand that. I'll definitely continue this story if I get good reviews. I know it's something different- all my stories really are, lol- but I hope you enjoy anyway!


	2. Chapter 2

**Up, Down, Around**

_Up_

He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt better. He didn't know if it was his late night talks with Adrian and Grace, or the fact that he was included in so much of the decisions about the baby- his baby.

"You can feel it, if you'd like." Adrian took Ben's hand in hers and pressed it gently against her growing belly.

"You're still so tiny." Ben chuckled.

"Hey!" Adrian grabbed his hand tighter, rubbing it up and down her lower abdomen, "I'm growing a little bit, can't you feel?"

Ben saw Grace watching the two of them. She sat on a stool in the kitchen, not removing her eyes from the pair.

"W-who wants food?" Grace made an attempt to interrupt.

But Ben didn't want food. He didn't think Adrian wanted food, either.

"And soon, the doctor said I'll be able to feel it kick!" Adrian proclaimed, still gripping Ben's hand with hers.

"Sweet!" Ben was excited, he didn't know what else to say. "If it starts kicking and I'm not here, can you-"

"I'll make sure you're here." Adrian smiled and looked up at him, stroking her manicured nail under the palm of his hand.

Yep, he was definitely better.

* * *

_Down_

Watching them wasn't exactly a picnic in the park for her.

"Look, I know you're feeling the baby, but since you won't let me feel, I'm just gonna-"

"Ooh," Adrian interrupted, "I'm craving Chinese. Order that. Chinese." She licked her lips and Ben nodded in agreement.

"Fine." She didn't want to agree, but she did anyway, for Adrian.

There was no way in hell Grace would want to be a pregnant seventeen-year-old, but Adrian actually made it look like fun. For starters, a belly just looked so good on her. She looked so natural, like it was almost always meant to be there. Her face was glowing with excitement as she talked about doctors' visits and weird cravings and even morning sickness.

Grace grabbed a menu and took the phone into the next room, leaving the two parents-to-be in the kitchen.

She entered two minutes later, "I ordered."

Not Adrian nor Ben even realized she walked in, until she repeated herself.

"I-I said I ordered." Grace cleared her throat.

"Cool." Adrian quickly turned towards and away from Grace and back to Ben, who was questioning her about the baby kicking and other stuff Grace couldn't comprehend.

"Can I feel the baby now?" Grace, eager to see what the big deal about her belly was, asked her best friend.

"N-not now, just wait for the food or something." Adrian waved her hand in the air and motioned towards the living room.

* * *

_Around_

She didn't love it, but she didn't hate it either. She managed to get by pretty well, at least that's what her parents and Ben and Grace told her.

"How much weight have you gained so far?"

Adrian didn't mind answering. "Around ten pounds, nothing major yet."

Grace laughed, "Losing the baby weight is going to be the hardest."

"Uh, how do you know? You've never even had a kid." She actually felt proud to know that she would know what it's like to experience all of this before Grace would know what it's like.

Grace, ignoring Adrian's remark, spoke again, "Do you still get bad morning sickness?"

"Yeah, but y'know the doctors actually say that's good for you?" Adrian lifted a spoonful of raw cookie dough into her mouth and licked it clean.

"I know. It means the baby is healthy."

"Oh right, I forgot 'Doctor Grace'." Adrian laughed and opened the tub of cookie dough, reaching in with her spoon again.

"Use a new spoon, that one's dirty!" Grace grabbed Adrian's arm, "That's just as bad as like, double dipping your chip into the dip. Here." And Grace grabbed a clean spoon out of the drawer and handed it to her.

Adrian snickered, "And since when did you become my mother?"

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for the sweet reviews on my first chapter. I just had to write this part tonight or else I would've forgotten, lol. Just to note to avoid confusion, 'up', 'down' and 'around' will be about different people each chapter. For example, Adrian will not always be 'around' every chapter, I switch it according to the moods I'm going to write them in. I don't even decide who's what before hand. Enjoy and remember, reviews are love!


End file.
